Crowdfunding Your Startup Is Making a Big Comeback

Venture capital has gone all-in on AI, leaving DTC, marketplace, and consumer-tech founders out in the cold. That vacuum has reawakened the crowdfunding ecosystem — not as a fallback, but as a first-choice power move. Founders like Scott Hansen of Maverick Brands are showing that raising from your community doesn’t just fund your company; it builds belief, ownership, and trust in a market that desperately needs it.